MÁRQUEZ FORCED TO RETIRE DUE TO AN ENGINE’S PROBLEM

Marc Marquez was forced to retire on lap 14 while fighting for the victory.

Marc was in the lead group from the beginning having started well from pole position and he set a new race-lap record of 2’01.560” on lap 10. Then, while closely chasing eventual winner Andrea Dovizioso and Valentino Rossi, he suffered a problem with his bike’s engine. It was Marc’s first DNF caused by a technical failure since he entered the MotoGP class with the Repsol Honda Team in 2013.

Marc is now a close second in the championship standings, 9 points behind Dovizioso.

Marc Marquez: “Today was really unlucky, as I was feeling very good on the bike and was there with the others, just trying to manage the race and tyres, especially the front as the temperature was higher than yesterday and I wanted to save it so to attack in the end. I had already seen that Dovi had something more than Viñales and Rossi, but I thought I could try and fight with him. So, everything was going well when I suddenly had a problem with the engine at the end of the straight. It’s a shame of course but that’s something that can happen in racing, and it was the first time for me with Honda. The positives are that we were fast here, as we have been at other tracks, and that we’re still there in the Championship. Zero points today, but I’m still feeling good with the bike and am looking forward to the next races.”

MARQUEZ WANTS TO KEEP HIS PODIUM STREAK

Championship leader Marc Marquez is looking forward to the upcoming British Grand Prix, round 12 of the MotoGP Championship, determined to continue the good work to maintain the leadership.

A one-day test at Misano last Sunday saw the Repsol Honda rider work positively on his RC213V’s setup before heading to the historic Silverstone Circuit, where the MotoGP Championship returned in 2010 after a 23-year break (from 1988 to 2009). During that time, the British Grand Prix was held at Donington Park.

Marc Marquez has 2 wins, 1×125 (2010) and 1xMotoGP (2014), plus an additional 2 podiums and 5 pole positions.

Marc Marquez: “Step by step, we’ve been able to find a good base for our bike and this is very good, as one of my goals is to always be there at the front and be very consistent at all tracks and in all conditions. Of course we’ll try for the same at Silverstone, a circuit that I like, though we know it will be a challenging round as our opponents are usually very strong there. Last year we did a good job during the weekend and only on race day we probably didn’t make the perfect choice with the front tyre. This year we’ll try and do everything to be able to fight for the podium again.”

SPECTACULAR PODIUM FINISH FOR MÁRQUEZ IN AUSTRIA

Marc Márquez has extended his lead in the MotoGP World Championship after his second position, and is now 16 points ahead of his nearest rival.

The current MotoGP leader stared an amazing fight for victory with Andrea Dovizioso that was decided in the last corner of the race, where Márquez tried an impossible overtake to get his third straight win in the Championship.

The Cervera rider has now been on the podium at seven from the last nine races.

Marc Márquez: “I wouldn’t have slept well tonight if I didn’t try to go for the win in the last corner! But it wasn’t possible. Today Dovi had just a little bit more than us and it was difficult to overtake him. I tried my best all race, really gave it my all, and I lost the rear many times. It was a great battle, and Dovi deserved this victory as he rode very well. We got this second place and it’s good. I’m very happy with these 20 points at this track where I had struggled a lot last year. It’s an important result for the Championship. We’re working well; step-by-step, we found a good base that allowed us to be there, and to be consistent in every situation. Today I was able to try that move at the end because I was feeling good with the bike. It will be important to continue like this and to try and be on the podium at every race.”

MÁRQUEZ LOOKING FOR HIS THIRD STRAIGHT WIN IN AUSTRIA

Marc Márquez will take part this week in the eleventh round of the World Championship, an Austrian Grand Prix to which he arrives with a reinforced lead.

Marc Márquez started the second half of the World Championship in the lead, and arrives to Austria with his biggest points advantage of the season: he leads the overall standings with 154 points, 14 over the second.

Marc Márquez took a podium position in 6 of the last 8 races, with three victories for him (at the The Americas, Germany and Czech Republic GPs).

This year it will be the fourth time that the current track will hold the Austrian GP (1996, 1997, 2016 and 2017).

Marc Márquez: “The Red Bull Ring is a circuit where we struggled quite a bit last year but hopefully this year it will be different. Brno also used to be a challenging track for us but in the end we got a fantastic result, so we’re going to Austria feeling positive. In the post-race test we were able to look into several aspects of our bike’s setup, also in view of the next race, such as getting better acceleration and reducing the wheelying. Of course we also need good stability on the brakes so we’ll see; as always, it will be a matter of finding a good compromise. We’ll do our best to get a good result and to gain important points for the Championship.”

NEW WIN FOR MÁRQUEZ IN A A FLAG TO FLAG RACE

Marc Márquez extends his lead in the standings with victory at Brno, as the first rider to change bikes.

With a third consecutive victory, Márquez increases his lead to 14 points over his nearest rival.

The race was declared wet but dried fast, and the Repsol Honda rider was the first to change bikes after the second lap.

This is the fifth victory for Márquez in a flag to flag race, after those achieved in the GPs in Holland in 2014, San Marino in 2015, Argentina in 2016 and Germany in 2016.

Marc Márquez: “This was a very special Sunday because everyone was racing for Angel Nieto, but it was also a very challenging race. On the grid, I took the risk to use the soft rear tyre because I thought it would give me extra grip for five laps before pitting to change bikes, but it didn’t go like that. I soon started to struggle a lot and lost many positions. When I saw that, I decided to immediately get in and take the risk of the slicks. When I re-joined the race, honestly it was still too damp in some parts and I nearly crashed during the first lap out. When you go out for the flag-to-flag, it’s so difficult to get the feeling with the bike again, but I tried to quickly understand the grip. Honestly, today I took some risks but it was one of those days when you just have to do it. After pulling a great gap, I just tried to manage, to ride well, and to finish the race. I’m really very happy with the result. It’s a track I normally struggle at, one I worry about every year, and getting 25 points was very important. Thanks to the team for another great job! We did the correct strategy during the summer break, coming here to test, and we arrived here prepared. We’re improving step by step. The Championship is still very, very tight; we must be able to be fast in every condition.”

THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON STARTS IN BRNO

The Repsol Honda Team heads to Brno in the Czech Republic with Marc Marquez leading the Championship on 129 points after nine races in one of the closest seasons ever.

Marc is ready for the second half of the season following a four-week break that was interrupted only by a two-day private test at the same track on July 17 and 18.

Marc holds the Pole record of 1’54.596 and has 2 wins: 1 x Moto2 (2012) and 1 x MotoGP (2013), plus an additional 3 podiums and 3 pole positions.

Marc Márquez: “I enjoyed having time to rest and go to the sea with some friends, but I also used this long summer break to train for the second part of the Championship. Such a close season is exciting but also very demanding, meaning that you have to always keep your concentration high and try to constantly be at the best level possible, adapting to every situation. So it was good to go testing at Brno during the summer break because it allowed us to work on the bike and stay focused on the job. Brno is a nice track but one of the most demanding, with many changes of direction and uphill and downhill sections. We’ll try to make the best of the work we’ve done during the test and to prepare to fight for the podium on Sunday.”